It’s the first day of spring! I’d say to celebrate with a red velvet, but I’m going to add the s’mores cupcake from Bleeding Heart Bakery to my list of new loves. The campfire-inspired creation features a chocolate cupcake covered with lightly brûléed marshmallow fluff and a chunk of what tastes like a graham cracker in cake form. A dab of mint chocolate frosting hiding inside is a welcome surprise and I love the red wrapper. I spotted these at the Coffee Studio, but I assume you can score them at the bakery as well. Bleeding Heart Bakery, 1955 W. Belmont.
Category Archives: I like to eats
Bleeding Heart Bakery cupcakes
Filed under ..and more, I like to eats, random spottings
Geja’s chocolate fondue
Tropical breezes are supposedly on the way this week, but we still got our flame on with Geja’s chocolate fondue. The beauty of an expanded restaurant week means getting to visit all of the old favorites around town on the cheap. I actually hadn’t been to the classic fondue spot in years, and forgot about the mini-spectacle that is the flaming chocolate fondue dessert. Kicked off by flaming marshmallows presented by the server, a platter of fruit, chocolate pound cake and not nearly enough marshmallows are slated to be dipped in melted chocolate flamed with orange liqueur. Now if we could only leave reeking more like that and less like hot bubbly oil. Geja’s Cafe, 340 W. Armitage Ave., 773.281.9101
Filed under ..and more, great for date, I like to eats, random spottings
Bread pudding at Tavern at the Park
Apple and blueberry bread pudding
It’s bread puddin’ weather. No doubt about it. It’s hard to resist a decadent bread puddin’ on the dessert menu when you’re dealing with like the 13th straight week of bitter cold. I happily warmed me bones recently with Tavern at the Park’s awesome warm blueberry apple bread pudding with fresh blueberries and lemon sauce, easily tackled with a knife and fork. And with three more weeks until the first “official” day of spring, better throw in their warm fudge brownie as well. Think freshly baked fudge brownies pulled right off the sheet pan and served up sundae-style—in other words, a great way to get you through the 10 weeks we really have until it’s warm. 108 E. Randolph St., 312.552.0070
Chocolate brownie
Filed under I like to eats, quick lunch
Bari foods
The Bari foods sign
My big (fat) Tuesday sandwich adventure was a solo one this week, but it all worked out because there aren’t any seats or tables in Bari foods anyway. What is hidden in the back of the neighborhood market stocked with pastas, sauces, produce, and more, is a no-frills deli counter where killer Italian sub sandwiches, meats, olives, cheeses and more are served up to locals in the know. Living so close to the place, you’d think I’d have plenty of favorites by now, but I’m pretty much stuck on the paper-thin prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sub with tomatoes, lettuce and tangy Italian herb seasonings on soft, fresh bread. Other Big Sandwich options include the meatball and the Italian sub with hot peppers..any other Bari bests? Bari foods, 1120 W. Grand Ave., 312.666.0730
Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sub
Filed under I like to eats, quick lunch
Water Street Brewery
Water Street sign
I so would’ve gotten the beer tasting flight at Water Street Brewery if I didn’t have to race back to Chicago on Sunday night by Oscar time. But I still enjoyed my dinner at the Milwaukee brewery and pub that’s been around for more than 20 years. While I continue to search for good restaurants in Milwaukee, I often end up at the pubs and breweries for decent bar food, great beer and a trip down memory lane of growing up in the “Brew.” While Water Street Brewery isn’t Milwaukee’s oldest brewery (it’s been home to Pabst, Schlitz, Miller and Blatz), the place does have a fair amount of impressive memora-beer-lia. Only those who grew up in Milwaukee will remember the Green Sheet section of the newspaper (think comics, crosswords, horoscopes, Dear Abby, guess-how-the-almost-identical-drawings-are different games all printed on green paper!). At Water Street, the Green Sheet design is cleverly resurrected as the menu, and I think any beer fanatic will appreciate the wall-to-wall collection of vintage beer cans and case filled with 1,400 ultra-cool beer tap handles. Oh, yeah, and the beer, from honey lager light to raspberry weiss and brown ale, is pretty fantastic too. Besides WSB, Milwaukee’s still got Lakefront, Sprecher and, of course, Miller breweries with tours, tastings and more, so you can easily get your Laverne and Shirley on and head up there for a brewery tour day trip. But don’t race home too fast, get your designated driver to stop for a steak at Coerper’s 5 O’clock Club (2416 W. State Street, 414.342.3553), vodka and oreo milkshakes at At Random (2501 S. Delaware, 414.481.8030) and finish the schlimaazely adventure here. Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water Street, 414.272.1195
The "Green Sheet" menu
Vintage brew
Timeless taps
Filed under boozeworthy, eliz-a-trip, I like to eats, quick lunch, the MKE report
Fried mac and cheese at Rocks
The only thing I had ever heard about Rocks Bar was the massive chunks of ice they plunked in their cocktails, but, um, not a peep about the fried mac and cheese appetizer. I’m on a bit of a mac and cheese kick lately (growing up on Kraft brand mac and cheese jaded me for far too long), and have been looking for restaurants that serve up the best—I mean besides this. Served with barbecue sauce, these fried beauties at Rocks have the slightly sweet not-too-crispy coating of McDonald’s chicken nuggets, with macaroni and Cheddar filling that isn’t over-stuffed or overly decadent. After trying them and raving, there were rumblings in the bar of other forms of the fried mac and cheese appetizer around town that were comparable if not better than Rocks. Burt’s in Morton Grove maybe? I wasn’t sure. I know Citizen once did a fried mac and cheese ball…anyone encounter this creation somewhere else? Please share, and while we’re at it, feel free to weigh in (no pun intended) on other interesting fried things you’ve recently seen around town. 
photo by steve baker
Filed under I like to eats, random spottings
Work of Art cookies
There’s edible Valentine’s Day schticky-goodness everywhere this week, but I couldn’t stop filling up on the heart-shaped sugar cookies at Work of Art Cakes. They remind me of a smaller version of the sugar cookies you can find in supermarket bakeries that morph into the colors and shapes of each passing holiday, but a thin layer of white chocolate in the middle adds a texture and moist richness grocery store baked goods usually lack. This nondescript bakery/café almost blends right into the Lincoln Park office building in which it’s located, and I would never know it was there if I didn’t work around the corner from the place. I was already addicted to their green tea, but I have a new vice that’ll unfortunately have to end after this weekend…that is until Easter when I’m hoping the cookies remerge in egg or chick form. Until then, Happy Valentine’s Day! Work of Art Cakes, 1332 N. Halsted St., 312.280.1718
Filed under I like to eats
Dine with Dale
When Relax Lounge (originally Pharmacy) first opened on Chicago Avenue, the delicious rumor was they they were going to have a menu of spiked milkshakes. To my knowledge, I don’t think the frostiness ever ensued, but the West Town lounge did just implement an indulgence I’m even more excited about. While waiting for his impending restaurant venture Town & Country to open, Chicago’s very own Top Chef finalist Dale Levitski is preparing a tasty three-course meal at the lounge every Thursday from 7-9pm, and I was lucky enough to score a last minute seat last week. With three seasonally focused courses (check the Web site for the weekly changing menu) reservations are accepted the day of only, so call ahead and get a table or seat at the bar. Our dinner, served up on handmade wooden serving blocks featured a truffled bistro salad with butter lettuce, marinated mushrooms and truffled vinaigrette followed by a juicy and tender sliced pork tenderloin with cauliflower smash and a sweet root beer demi. Dessert was one of the best I’ve had in long time, a marshmallow wonton with peanut butter sauce and peanut brittle. The wonton, filled with warm chocolate sauce was crisp and crunchy, served with mini marshmallows and an addictive peanut butter sauce with just a hint of sea salt. The other unexpected hit of the night was the Calientini cocktail mixologist Zach Friedlander convinced me to sip. The Absolut pear, St. Germaine, cilantro and cucumber sounded divine, but the jalapeño shaken with it all scared me. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the refreshing cocktail, topped with Champagne, wasn’t too caliente for my tastes with just the slightest hint of peppery heat and the perfect balance of fruit, sweet and savory. Creative cocktails aside, Dale’s three-course dinner is elegant and delicious, and only $25, so make your reservations for tomorrow’s feast before another impending sell-out. 1450 W. Chicago Avenue, 312.666.6006
The Calientini
Pork tenderloin, cauliflower smash, root beer demi
Filed under great for date, I like to eats
ELIZABITES 